Wawrinka, ecstatic after his victory: "I like this too much to come just to say goodbye"

Jose Morón | 19 Jan 2026 | 09.27

Wawrinka, ecstatic after his victory: "I like this too much to just come and say goodbye." Photo: Getty

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It had been five years since Stan Wawrinka won a match at the Australian Open. This year, he did it thanks to an invitation he truly deserved after his great start to the year, considering that 2026 is his farewell year.

Sabina used to say that you should not return where you were happy, but in Stan's case, the Swiss has been resigning himself for a couple of years to hang up the racket to gift himself afternoons and nights like today's, to smile again and embrace victory with the same love a child hugs his mother. He warned at the beginning of the year that he was coming with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective on his farewell tour. Today, he confirmed it by beating Djere in four sets at the Australian Open.

Stan Wawrinka exudes euphoria in the press conference from Australia

It's not just a farewell tour

Yes, for me, it was clear that playing an entire year on a farewell tour is not very exciting. In the end, I'm a competitor, passionate about what I do, always eager to push my limits. I have always done it throughout my career, and above all, I love this job too much, I love being a tennis player too much, I love the competition too much to just come to say goodbye.

Brimming with happiness

I trained very hard in November and December to try to maintain my level at its peak. I am very happy with the five matches I have played in the United Cup, against top-level players, showing a very high level, even if I only won one; for me, the most important thing was the level. It is clear that not only is it good to win a match here at the beginning of the year, but it is even more important, especially knowing that it is the last time I will play here, to be able to stay as long as possible.

Importance of ending his career with Magnus Norman

I am very happy to finish my career with him. It is true that we have worked together since 2013. We have won the most important titles together, we have experienced many things together. I love working with him; he is an excellent coach, he knows tennis extremely well. He always has that motivation to exceed limits, which is why we fit so well together. Regardless of age, regardless of my level, regardless of the result, we always want to go further, to progress, and to reach the best possible level. That's what we have worked on again during this preseason. We have pushed hard to reach a high and competitive level, and I am very happy that it is already like that at the beginning of the year.

Physical condition after playing four sets

Yes, I have been working very hard to stay in shape, to demand the most from myself. I also think that the week in the United Cup helped me a lot because I played matches of over three hours on consecutive days, in addition to spending a lot of time on the court, at a high level. That gave me a lot of confidence in what I am capable of doing. But in the end, I'm still 40, and you never know what might happen. You shouldn't think too far ahead, or about how long the match will last or if it will be five sets or not. No, you have to do the best you can with what you have at every moment. Today was great.

If he still gets nervous at 40 years old

Yes, almost throughout the whole match (smiles). No, of course, I'm always nervous. That has always been something positive for me. It means that I care about this truly. It means that I really want to do well. I am pushing myself to the maximum. That's when you have to be very disciplined with yourself, with your mind, with what you have to do during the match. I think long matches, five sets, also help me to relax, to be a bit more focused, to move a little better. Today was the case. I think I started playing better in the second, third, and fourth set.

How he feels about his tennis after so many years

I wish it felt the same, with the same power and everything else (smiles). No, I don't try to feel the same as ten years ago. I have always been honest with myself, knowing where I am, what my abilities are, what I can do, what I can still achieve, and how I can still play. I try to use all of that on the court in every match. I know I'm not as good as before. I know that physically and in tennis terms, I'm not like before. That's normal. I'm getting older, but I'm still happy with what I do, always trying to push my own limits, always trying to be better. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to win a Grand Slam match here.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Wawrinka, exultante tras su victoria: "Me gusta demasiado esto como para venir solo a decir adiós"

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